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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

NEW MUSIC: THE GREG FOAT GROUP - LIVE AT THE PLAYBOY CLUB, LONDON; SOUL, FUNK AND AFRO RARITIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO ATA RECORDS (COMPILATION); JIMMY GREENE - A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

THE GREG FOAT GROUP - LIVE AT THE PLAYBOY CLUB, LONDON

The coolest record so far from this totally great combo – a
live recording done on the home turf of the Greg Foat Group – the Playboy Club
in London! The retro venue really fits the slinky, sexy vibe of the group's
music – and although we already loved these guys before, this album has a
really special sort of feel – with loads of wonderful keyboard lines from Greg
on Hohner Electra piano, Elka Rhapsody, Hammond L 100, and Mutron Phaser –
almost always distorted with a nice degree of fuzz, but still a straight ahead
approach, and some great undercurrents of fuzz too! The group also features
tenor and trumpet – which sometimes sound distorted, ala Varitone modes – and
the overall sound feels like some lost jazzy club combo from the late 60s,
really tripping out in a very comfortable space. We'd easily stack this one
next to our favorite funky Fender Rhodes records from back in the day – and
titles include "By The Grace Of God I Am", "Ingen Reklam",
"Funky Fanfare", "Madrid", and "Mr Minor". CD
features two bonus tracks – "Finky Minky" and "Papa's Got A
Brand New Pigbag". ~ Dusty Groove

A funky compilation of sorts – but one that features almost
all contemporary recordings done in the best styles of older UK sound library
funk! ATA are actually a current studio, put together by the guys behind the
Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra – a group we normally know for more Afro Funk-styled
sounds, but who here recall the glory days of Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield,
and Brian Bennett – in a host of grooves that are heavy on vintage instruments,
and equally old school production! The work feels a lot like lost funk tracks
from labels like KPM or DeWolfe – and these guys really change their previous
group to get the sound just right – on cuts that include "The Flip",
"London Station", "The Terror", "Cookie Jar",
"Moscow Central", "Sucker Punch", and "Hawkshaw
Philly" – all credited to different groups, but we think played by the
Ariya guys themselves! ~ Dusty Groove

JIMMY GREENE - A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

A heartbreaking project from saxophonist Jimmy Greene –
dedicated to his daughter, who was caught in the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook
Elementary school. Instead of focusing on the tragedy that struck his family,
Greene instead chooses to celebrate the wonderful, but too-short life of his daughter
Ana – through a beautiful record that may well be his most ambitious to date!
The scope of the sound here is wonderful – very soulful, thoughtful tracks
performed by a shifting lineup that includes some famous names who were only
happy to help out on the project – like Kenny Barron and Cyrus Chestnut on
piano, Pat Metheny on guitar, and Kurt Elling on vocals. But the core group
alone is wonderful –w ith Renee Rosnes on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and
Lewis Nash on drums – who set things up in this wonderfully soulful style that
seems to evoke some of Greene's most personal moments on record. Titles include
"Last Summer", "Ana's Way", "Maybe", "Little
Voices", "Where Is Love", and "Seventh Candle". ~ Dusty Groove